Chapter 7

"James!"

It's been two days and Hermione still hasn't shown up in any of their classes, the Great Hall or the Gryffindor Common Room. James can't help but be worried about her well being, how can she disappear without any trace? Darn it! Even the Marauders map is completely useless, because one minute it is functioning okay and then suddenly it does not.

Merlin! He really wants to see her, it doesn't matter if she doesn't talk to him as long as he can see her then that will be fine for him. He wants to see her…NO! He needs to see her! He needs to make sure that she is alright.

Even if he tried he can never forget how she looked that day, it hurts him even in his dreams and his chest tightens every time he thinks of her eyes that were full of pain and he doesn't know why.

He already consulted Pomfrey but the mediwitch just shook her head at him while telling him to "use his eyes". Use his eyes! What's that suppose to mean! She is a mediwitch and she can only advise him that! What if his condition is life threatening!

What fuelled his anger more, is when he told his friends what happened and they all had the nerve to laugh at him! How dare they! And they called themselves his friends?! Hmph..
"Stop thumping Potter, you're disturbing the peace."

James spun around towards that familiar voice. There she is! Hermione sitting on the ground and leaning comfortably on the tree looking at him with her usual bored expression.

"Hermione!" James can't help but exclaim while walking as fast as he can towards her.

Hermione POV

She flinched at James' loud voice. At first when she saw him, she wanted to hide but it seemed that he didn't notice her presence yet because he was too busy thumping his feet while muttering loudly like a petulant child. It will be much easier for her to ignore him, but the noise he was making, she was finding it very hard to continue her silent musing.

She was already contented hiding in the Room of Requirement but Dumbledore once again used his tricks and managed to enter into the ROR without difficulty. He ordered her to go back to her classes and that's why she is sitting at the Black Lake trying to gather enough courage to go back at her classes and act as casual as possible.

"Jeez, Potter! Lower your voice, I can still hear you without you shouting." She closed her eyes again and readies herself to go back to her own world but James made it difficult for her with his penetrating gaze on her. When she opened her eyes they had almost widen when she noticed how close James was to her. James appeared as shocked as her, and he immediately step backwards while blushing furiously.

"You really don't know what personal space means do you Potter?"

He answered her by another blush while mumbling something.
Hermione frowned when she didn't understand whatever he was trying to say to her. "Pardon?"

James sighed deeply. It seems that whenever he was near to Hermione, he always managed to make a fool out of himself. "I asked where have you been these past two days?…but you don't have to answer me if you don't want to." He immediately added when Hermione just looked at him.

Hermione didn't see any harm in answering him. "I just want to breathe without anyone nagging at me!" She answered while looking at the wide lake.

"I wish I can do that too." James took a seat beside Hermione but with enough space that will be comfortable for her.

"You're friends are being annoying again." Hermione stated.

"How did you know?"James looks at Hermione who remains looking at the lake.
"Well you were not really being quiet about it, while you were ranting about them."

"Oh." James scratches his head, too embarrassed to say anything.

"Friends are like that…they are annoying and can give you constant headache but having them lightens everything because they can be the only thing that will stand beside you when everyone has already turned their back on you." Hermione hugs her knees, resting her chin on them, she can feel it again…the deep hole in her heart while reminiscing about her friendship with Harry and Ron…Merlin, she really misses them.
"How about you? Do you have any friends?"

Hermione looked at James with a raised eyebrow. "As much as what you think you believe in me, I do have friends Potter, my social skills are not that low, you know."

"I…I…I…"
Hermione giggled and James swears his heart beat increased again. See! Pomfrey is really wrong, there is something wrong with him? If not then why does his heart want to jump out of his chest due to the rapid beat of it?

"I'm just teasing you Potter but to answer your question, Yes I have friends." Hermione looked at the lake again but not before James saw the sadness written in her eyes.
"Can you tell me about them?"

She smiled fondly while thinking about her two best friends. "They are very stubborn, and sometimes…well most of the times actually, they do things that always seem to land one of us in the Hospital wing…but their loyalty… are beyond words. They can be stupid but they are the kind of friends that will treasure you to the point of sacrificing their own lives for you and for me they are more than my best friends, they are my family…"

"They sound wonderful."

"They are…" Hermione felt her heart tighten. She really wanted to go home now, to go back in her own time no matter how dangerous it is there right now. She misses them; actually her longing for them won't subside. She misses them so much that it hurts just thinking about them, she would do anything just to see them again, even for a short time.

"Hermione?"
When she heard the concern in James voice she finally noticed the tears that flowed freely in her face. When James tried to touch her, she immediately stood up while wiping her tears furiously.

James stood up too, still looking concerned for Hermione. He thought seeing her reaction at her boggart was bad but seeing her tears are worst. He hates seeing her like this, if he knew what was causing her suffering, then maybe he could stop it.

With a deep breath she managed to stop the tears, but not enough to stop the pain. She looked at James when he touched her shoulder comfortingly. However, when she looks at him she doesn't see James but Harry, her best friend.
"Hermione?"
When she heard his voice she felt as if someone slapped her hard, waking her from a very wonderful dream. As she looks again, Harry's image has once again became James.

"You're not him…" She can't help but whisper painfully.

"What?" James asked not really understanding anything that she is saying.
Hermione turned her back on James. "Forget it, it's not important." Merlin she almost lost it! She almost mistook him as her Harry.

"No! Are you okay? If not, just tell me if I can do something for you." James felt protective towards Hermione. He doesn't know why but the only thing he is very sure of is the fact that he didn't want her to feel this way…to be sad beside him and yet he can't do anything to stop that sadness. He wanted to make her feel better and whatever the reason that feeling is no longer important because seeing

her smile again is more important.

Because of what James said an idea popped in her mind. She immediately turns around and faced James. "You are a chaser, right?"
"Huh?"
"Where's your broom?"

Now James is totally confused but despite that he immediately answered her. "In my room."

Hermione felt disappointed when she heard his answer.

When James saw the disappointment in her eyes he felt the urge to erase it. "I can accio it for you." And without waiting for her answer James already said the spell and before she knew it a broom was already flying towards them until it landed next to James hand, which he immediately passed to her while looking at her expectantly.

Hermione looked at the broom then to James then to the broom again not really knowing what he wanted her to do."Umm..What are you doing?"

"You want my broom right? So here it is, I'm giving it to you."

If there is one thing that everyone knows about James is that he didn't let anyone touch his broom, he even hexed a student in a higher year when he tried to touch his broom, but now if giving his precious broom to Hermione will make her smile again then he will give it to her without a second thought. Merlin! He will give her everything she asked for, if that will guarantee her happiness.

Hermione shakes her head at James. "I don't want your broom."

"Then why-"

I want to fly."

"Okay, then here is my broom you can use this as long as you want."

She sighed exasperatedly, now she knows were Harry gets his "dumb" genes. "Potter, I want to fly, okay?"

"Yes..that's why I will lend this to y-"

"Potter! I don't know how to fly, okay!"

"Oh…"James just stood there while looking at her unsurely. "Ahm…what exactly do you want me to do?"

Hermione sighed again but this time out of irritation. Merlin! Can Harry's father be really this stupid? He is even worse than Ron; well at least she was already used to Ron's stupidness.

"Potter!" Hermione took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. This guy can be irritating without him doing anything at all. "Potter, listen I really want to fly so can you PLEASE ride with me so you can operate the broom for me."

"Oh."Now James finally understood what she was trying to say but for Merlin sake he really wanted to punch his own face. He could have said something much cooler but instead he said? "Oh ", thank goodness Sirius is not here because if his best friend was here he would taunt him forever.

Hermione looked at James sharply, it took all her will to admit her inability to fly and all he said was "oh". "Potter!"

Upon hearing her irritation James immediately climbed on his broom and waited for Hermione to climb behind him.

Hermione looked at the broom with concentration, she never imagined herself flying because of her fear of heights, but she wanted to do this, she wanted to feel the atmosphere at the top, hoping that when she feels the cold breeze that will brush her skin then she will feel Harry and Ron. She will feel them as if they are just forcing her to ride on their broom just like before.

"Hermione?"
Hermione looked at James only to see him looking at her questioningly.

"Don't let me fall." She said softly while looking at him straight in the eyes.
"Never."
She doesn't know if it his sincerity or the determination in his voice that made her climb on his broom but she did it anyway. She didn't know where to hold so she settled on his scarf which he immediately complained after she almost choked him. So without any choice she wrapped her arms securely at his waist.
It took James all his will to conceal his moan of pleasure upon feeling her arms around him. So to divert his attention he slowly brought them up then he started operate the broom above the lake. "Is this alright for you?"
When he received no answer, James turned his head to look at Hermione only to find her almost as pale as the paper while her eyes were tightly closed, but for him she is still beautiful.

"Hey? Are you okay? Do you want us to stop already and go down?"
"No!" Hermione opened her eyes to look at him directly only to close them again when she accidentally saw how high they were already

"But-"

"Please, I'm okay… don't worry I'm just afraid of heights."
"Afraid of heights! Then why are we doing this!"
"I want to do this!"
James heard her determination but he swears he heard her say "I need to do this." He doesn't know why she is doing this but if she wanted to do it, then he will make sure she will not do it on her own.

In a determined way James guided his broom at a faster pace but in a safe way so he did not scare Hermione. "Take a deep breath Hermione and never look down…and don't worry I promise to never ever let you get hurt."
Taking his advice Hermione slowly closed her eyes but not before tightening her hold on James, and when her eyes finally adjusted to the light, Hermione couldn't help but admire everything. From up there she can see Hogwarts and Merlin it was like seeing it again for the first time. She could not explain what she was feeling right now, but she liked the warmness it brought her.
From up there she could feel the wind softly caressing her face immediately calming her heart. Now she knew why Harry and Ron loved flying.

"Hey Potter…"

"Hmh?"

"Don't say anything please. Just leave me be for a while."
James only nodded his head because whatever her reason, he knew that she needed it and he will give it to her.

Hermione rested her forehead on James back. Up there they were the only people and Hermione released her tears, the tears that she promised to be the last tears that she will let fall from her eyes because after this moment she will never cry again. She will be the brave princess that her own time knows of her.
She will do her mission and she promised that she will succeed. This will be the last time that she will show her weakness. From now on her tears and sadness will be her biggest motivator to succeed.
For now, she will shed her last tears until she cried all of her pain, sadness and suffering away. She will cry for everything; she will cry for her loss. She will cry for the pain that her memories are bringing her. She will cry and cry and cry until she feels no more and until she is fully ready to do what she must do.
When James felt warm liquid on his back he knew that it was her tears but he remained silent even though the warm liquid penetrated his clothes and his heart…the deepest part of his heart that felt her pain. He silently cried for her and for all the things that caused her suffering.
James promised that this will be the last time that this witch will cry if he had any say about it. He just wishes that he could keep this promise no matter what the cause will be.
After their rendezvous up in the air Hermione felt much better and calmer.
"How are you feeling?"
"Better thank you Potter."Hermione looked at James and smiled softly but it was enough to lighten James heart.
James wanted to say many things but before he can start he heard Sirius voice calling him. And when he looked at the source of the voice he saw him with Remus and Peter not from a far but it seems that they still didn't see them yet.
"Your friends are here, I better go."
James looked at Hermione, he wanted to protest but instead he nodded even though his heart wanted him to do the opposite.
Hermione took a step away but after a few steps she looked at James again and before she can regret this decision she walked towards him and kissed him softly on his cheek. "Thank you again, James." She didn't wait for his reply or reaction she already started to walk away as fast as she could.

AN:

Well that's my latest chapter. Thank you for your support but please if anyong is interested to become my beta PM me asap..thank you